CAMPAIGN ROUNDUP
DOWNTOWN — Supporters of Measure Y, the proposed half percent sales tax increase, have donated $229, 541 to the campaign to pass the tax hike, compared with just $5,708 raised by opponents of the measure.
With 10 days to go before election day, the pro-Measure Y campaign has nearly $91,000 on hand, according to a campaign disclosure document filed on Wednesday.
Many elected leaders have already agreed to spend half of the estimated $12 million Measure Y would raise on public schools, a pledge that has brought in big donations from pro-schools groups.
Big donors include the Santa Monica Malibu Action Committee for K-12 ($35,000), the Franklin Elementary PTA ($20,000), the Roosevelt Elementary PTA ($14,500) Santa Monica-Malibu Council of PTAs ($13,550) and the Lincoln Elementary PTA ($7,000).
The list of pro-Measure Y donors also includes several companies with recent or pending business with City Hall.
Among them is Hines, the Texas-based developer that is negotiating a development agreement for a mixed-use project at Olympic Boulevard and Stewart Street, which donated $10,000 to the campaign.
Dale Goldsmith, the attorney who recently negotiated a development agreement for bio-tech company Agensys also contributed $5,000 to the Measure Y cause.
Regis Properties donated $5,000, as did the law firm of Harding Kutcher & Kozal (individual attorneys at the firm also kicked in additional donations totaling several thousand dollars).
Southern California Disposal & Recycling Co. donated $15,000, as did the Committee for Safety and Modernization at Santa Monica College.
The top two City Hall officials also are donors to the pro-Measure Y campaign. City Manager Rod Gould contributed $300, and Assistant City Manager Elaine Polachek donated $250.
The No on Y campaign, meanwhile, has primarily been funded by a small group of retailers who sell big ticket items and who have argued a half percent sales tax increase could hurt sales. Donors to the anti-Measure Y effort include Bourget Bros. Building Materials, Readers Fine Jewelers, Carlson’s Appliance, White & Co. Insurance and the Santa Monica Republican Headquarters Committee.
Candidates cashing their final checks
As candidates for City Council and school board head into the final stretch, new fundraising figures showed early money leaders had mostly maintained their advantages.
In the race for two-year council seats, Terry O’Day had the most cash with $63,550 raised through mid-October. Gleam Davis had $31,841 and had loaned her campaign an additional $2,500, while Robert Kronovet had raised $8,838 (and loaned his campaign an additional $2,000) and Susan Hartley had $3,605.
In the four-year race, five-term incumbent Bob Holbrook had raised the most, with $58,079, followed by challenger Ted Winterer, who raised $39,750 and loaned his campaign an additional $5,000.
Incumbents Pam O’Connor and Kevin McKeown had raised $28,582 and $27,313, respectively. Challenger Jean McNeil-Wyner had raised $20,488.
In the contest for four school board seats, challenger Nimish Patel had received a record-setting $71,732 by Oct. 16. Laurie Lieberman had raised $30,961. The latest disclosure form on record for challenger Chris Bley showed he had raised $25,003.
The incumbents were far behind. Ralph Mechur had raised $8,202 and loaned his campaign an additional $1,000, while Oscar de la Torre had raised $4,000 by the latest filing deadline. School board president Barry Snell raised $2,640.
nickt@www.smdp.com
